Tagged: strip

THE I’S HAVE IT

  • News
  • November 12, 2011

NEWS RELEASE

The i’s have it. The “it” they have is Weird Horror Tales, the first of a trilogy of braided horror novels by Michael Vance set in the outré town of Light’s End, Maine. And the “it” that has Weird Horror Tales is iPulpFiction, a cloud-based reading service that publishes classic and contemporary short stories that are accessible from any device with an up-to-date browser and an Internet connection including i-phones, i-pads, and ay-yi-yi, most everything electronic.

Weird Horror Tales offers 13 harrowing stories of horror and suspense in the tradition of H. P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury, both of whom were prominent writers for the pulp magazines of the ‘20s, ‘30’s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. It is a perfect fit for the iPulpFiction site that includes stories from pulp titles including The Spider, Horror Tales, Amazing Stories, Astonishing Stories, and All Story Love.

The location for Vance’s trilogy is the desolate, rocky coast of Maine where squats the uncanny, isolated town of Light’s End. Built along a metaphysical fault line between order and chaos, it is the setting for horror and depravity. There is something lurking behind the white picket fences of Light’s End and in the shadows of August Street. For here, amidst the age old Victorian houses and the New England traditions of its citizens broods a dark secret, a religious cult which infects every aspect of life. The first of these thirteen stories, Picked Clean, is set in the year 1653, and can be found at http://ipulpfiction.com. Just type in the title in the site’s browser. Vance has written for national and international magazines, and as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist in over 500 newspapers. His history book, “Forbidden Adventures”, has been called a “benchmark in comics history”. Vance briefly ghosted an internationally syndicated comic strip, wrote his own strip and several comic books. He is listed in the Who’s Who of American Comic Books and Comic Book Superstars. IPulpFiction also offers classic stories in Super Science Stories, Black Mask, Kolchak, Rangeland Romances, Horror Tales and many, many other titles. So, the next time you’re in the mood for fun in the form of prose, keep your eye out for IPulp.

Picked Clean

1653—Murderer Caleb Elliott flees England for Maine only to sire an eldritch horror on a squamous thing deep beneath the murky water of Abomination Bay. The dirty consequence is that Caleb, and Ezekiel and Hiram Azreal, found the outre town of Light’s End and leave a monstrosity that writhes under the ominous cliffs of that dead bay. Or do they?

You can read Picked Clean at http://ipulpfiction.com/books/WeirdHorrorTales-01-PickedClean/jacketNotes.php

The Well Sunk In The Sky

1838 — Does Light’s End’s ebon lighthouse at the mouth of Abomination Bay warn wooden ships of the bay’s deadly reef hidden by murky fog or raging storm, or welcome silver ships from the stars? Under the watchful eye of Jake Horne, is the lighthouse the site of an outre Azrealite prenuptial ritual for Charlotte Elliott and Obediah Azreal, or a stone womb for The Other?

You can read The Well Sunk In The Sky at http://ipulpfiction.com/books/WeirdHorrorTales-02-TheWellSunkInTheSky/jacketNotes.php

Weird Horror Tales, Weird Horror Tales: The Feasting, and Weird Horror Tales: Light’s End are now available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other bookstores. Best price for traditional book is from Cornerstone Book Publishers at (http://www.gopulp.info/). For electronic version, go to: http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.htm

Derrick Ferguson Hires HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE

  • News
  • November 9, 2011

Publication Date: Oct 27 2011
ISBN/EAN13: 1466481900 / 9781466481909
Page Count: 184
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 6″ x 9″
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Related Categories: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Short Stories
The hard-boiled private eye genre is one I dearly love.  The trench-coated shamus with a cigarette dangling from his lip, .45 automatic or .38 revolver in a well-worn shoulder holster, fedora pulled down low over his forehead, the faithful gum-chewing secretary and even more faithful fifth of scotch in the desk drawer…it’s a genre I never get enough of.  And since television and movies have apparently abandoned the P.I. it’s up to writers like Lee Houston, Jr. and books like HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE to give me my fix.
Let me explain; even though Hugh Monn lives and works on the far distant planet of Frontera interacting with many different species and using advanced technology, the tone and feel of the character and the eight stories in the book are pure 1950’s.  Lee drops in a mention here and there of some bit of sci-fi such as a character having green or purple skin or Hugh’s weapon of choice being a Nuke 653 Rechargeable but that’s just throwaways Lee lobs at us once in a while to remind us that we’re not on Earth.  But he doesn’t go into any real detail as to how this future civilization operates or how the technology works.  When the subject of detective stories crossed with science fiction comes up, I usually mention Larry Niven’s stories and novels about Gil The Arm or Roger Zelazny’s “My Name Is Legion” since in those stories, the science fiction is integral to the story.  Take out the science fiction and you wouldn’t have a story.  Not so with Lee’s Hugh Monn stories.  They could easily have been set in 1950’s Los Angeles or New York with a little rewriting.  But I digress…let’s take HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE for what it is, not for what it isn’t.
Hugh Monn is a Human and yes, he freely admits to his clients that his name is a gag.  But one he prefers to use as he’s got some pretty big secrets in his past he’d prefer to keep to himself.  As a detective, Hugh is capable, sharp, principled and dogged in his determination to solve his cases and get to the truth.  Hugh isn’t a pain-in-the-ass who rebels against authority and isn’t a lone wolf who doesn’t play by the rules.  Matter of fact, Hugh conducts himself as a total professional.  He doesn’t shoot when he doesn’t have to, he’s polite to everybody he meets and he co-operates with the authorities.  In particular, Lawbot 714 who he runs into in a couple of stories and who I wouldn’t mind seeing become a regular if Lee gives us more Hugh Monn cases.  He doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink, he likes kids; he holds open the doors for old ladies.  I think you can tell where I’m going with this.  Hugh’s a fine detective but as a character I found myself wishing that once in a while he’d haul off and slug a suspect for no good reason other than he doesn’t like the fact the guy has eight eyes.  Hugh could stand to be a little rougher and not so polite.
The story “Shortages” is a good example of how Hugh Monn solves a case using his understanding of both humans and aliens and his powers of observation.  It also introduces the character of Big Louie, a Primoid.  Big Louie is the main suspect in a series of thefts being committed at a high security pier.  It’s a pretty good locked room mystery and the relationship between Hugh and Big Louie is the primary attraction in this story, as in “At What Price Gloria?”  Hugh and Big Louie have to rescue Big Louie’s wife Gloria and stop an assassination attempt.  I only wish more of the stories had been as suspenseful as this one.  In some of them, the mystery really isn’t that hard to figure out as there’s a lack of suspects so the solution comes down to either being this one or that one.  And I never got a sense of Hugh being in any real danger in any of these stories.  But Lee should be commended for trying different types of stories such as “For The Benefit of Master Tyke” which hinges more on the healing of a family than the solving of any real crime.  I picked up halfway through “Where Can I Get A Witness?” is intended as a homage to the 1944 film noir “Laura” and I enjoyed it until the very last paragraph where it felt to me as if the writer had stepped in to give his opinion of his own story and didn’t allow his character to do so.
So should you read HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE?  As a first book from a new writer, I’m inclined to give Lee a pat on the back.  There’s a lot to like in his writing style.  He does know how to keep a story moving but he shouldn’t shy away from rolling in the dirt and giving his characters some sharp edges.  I wouldn’t mind seeing Hugh Monn tackle some more cases but I also wouldn’t mind seeing Lee Houston, Jr. strip away the political correctness and explore the real darkness of Frontera.

PULP ADVENTURECON-THE ADVENTURE STARTS IN TWO WEEKS!

  • News
  • October 18, 2011
Pulp AdventureCon
November 5th, 2011
Ramada Inn, Bordentown, NJ
Thousands of rare PULP MAGAZINES, vintage paperbacks and movie collectibles on display in this pleasant one-day show that attracts collectors and exhibitors from as far as New Hampshire and Virginia. Held the first Saturday of November from 10AM until 5PM.

Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Admission: $5
Email us for information — boldventurepress@aol.com
__________________________________________

Update — October 17, 2011
LORD OF THE TREES
ALEX SIMMONS and ERIC BATTLE will be joining us as special guests. As the writer and illustrator team of the syndicated TARZAN newspaper strip, between the years of 2000 and 2002, they provided Lord Greystoke with plenty of challenges of hair-raising thrills.
These strips appeared as part of the story-arc “Day of the Hunter”, which appeared in newspapers across the country from January 6, 2002 – May 19, 2002.
Follow the link to the Official ERB, Inc. and Tarzan® Webzine Site, Bill & Sue-On Hillman’s ERBzine, to read “Day of the Hunter” and more of the Tarzan newspaper strips.
Update — October 18, 2011
As of October 18, 36 tables are spoken for. That leave approximately eight tables remaining. Now is the best time to jump in, if you’ve been stalling. Our erstwhile vendors include Paul Herman, Rich Harvey, Rick Hall, Gary Lovisi, Darrell Schweitzer, Henry Greenbaum, Bruce Tinkel, Gale Heimbach, Ed Hulse, Martin Grams, Rich Greene, Bill Parisho, Brendan Faulkner, John Gunnison, Mike Chomko, Chuck Miller, Eric Battles, Rodger Lowenthal, Nick Certo, Cowboy Tony, Walker Martin, and Mark Halegua.
CLICK HERE … to read about past shows. Walker Martin provides a pretty comprehensive overview of the stuff you missed in 2008.
 
HOME
ABOUT
BOOKS
CONTACT
ORDER
LINKS
 
 

Click here to join our mailing list
BOLD VENTURE PRESS TM & © 2011 Bold Venture Productions. All Rights Reserved.
PULP ADVENTURES TM & © 2011 Bold Venture Productions. All Rights Reserved.
PULP ADVENTURECON TM & © 2011 Bold Venture Productions. All Rights Reserved.

FLASH GORDON (1936)

  • News
  • June 26, 2011

FLASH GORDON (1936)
1936
Universal Pictures
Directed by Frederick Stephani
Produced by Henry MacRae
Written by Basil Dickey, Ella O’Neill, George H. Plympton
Based on the comic strip by Alex Raymond
Say whatever you want about The Internet.  It’s done all right by me so far.  It’s a never ending source of delight to me that I can find and rediscover movies, books, comics and old TV shows that I thought I’d never see or experience again.  But it’s all out there and thanks to the wonderful technology we now have, it’s a joy to be able to relive some of my childhood pleasures.  This is one of ‘em.
Set The Wayback Machine for pre-Netflix days, Sherman. (I’m talking about the 70’s and 80’s, folks) when the only way I could see cliffhanger serials from the 30’s and 40’s was to either borrow them from the library and hope the VHS tape hadn’t been dubbed from a poor copy or wait until they were shown on PBS.  Usually during the summer PBS would have a Saturday night marathon showing of “Spy Smasher” “Perils of Nyoka” “The Masked Marvel” or “Manhunt of Mystery Island” in their original form.  Much more common were the edited versions of cliffhangers that Channel 9 or Channel 11 here in New York would show on Saturday afternoons.  15 chapters were edited down into 90 minutes.  It gave you a good flavor of what cliffhangers were like but that was all.
But now we’ve got Netflix and it was while accidentally finding they had “King of The Rocketmen” available, I hunted up some other serials as well.  Including what is probably the best known and best loved cliffhanger serial of all; FLASH GORDON starring Larry “Buster” Crabbe.   The man was known as The King of The Serials due to his playing in serials arguably the three most popular comic strip heroes at that time: Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and Tarzan.  Talk about your hat tricks.
But there’s a reason why Mr. Crabbe got to play such heroes.  The cat looks like a hero.   He had the genuine square chin, steely eyes and a build most guys would give ten years off their life for.  But I think that Buster Crabbe’s real appeal in this serial lay in his Everyman quality.  His Flash Gordon isn’t the smartest guy in the room.  And he’s okay with that.  He’s more than happy to let Dr. Zarkov be the brains of the outfit while he does the dirty work.   He’s clever and resourceful.  He’s got morals and compassion for the little guy.  And when it comes to kicking ass all over Mongo, just step back and give Flash some fightin’ room.
By now, the story is legend.  The planet Mongo is hurtling toward Earth on what appears to be a collision course.  Earth’s weather is going crazy as well as the populace.  Flash Gordon is on one of the last cross country flights as he wishes to be with his scientist father when the end comes.  Also on the plane is Dale Arden (Jean Rogers).  Due to the severity of the weather, Flash and Dale are forced to bail out by parachute and happen to land right near the spaceship of Dr. Hans Zarkov (Frank Shannon) who talks them into a suicide mission to fly through space to the planet Mongo and somehow stop it from crashing into Earth.
Flash and Dale agree to go along and our intrepid heroes successfully make it to Mongo where they are promptly captured by Captain Torch (Earl Askam) who takes them to his Emperor: Ming The Merciless (Charles Middleton) who rules Mongo by fear and terror.  Ming and Flash take an instant dislike to each other.  However, Ming’s daughter Princess Aura (Priscilla Lawson) falls immediately in love with Flash and tries to save him when her daddy throws Flash in the Arena of Death with three brutal ape men.  Now mind you, this is just the first chapter and I didn’t even describe half of what happens.
The next 12 chapters are a goofy blizzard of classic space opera pulp adventure as Flash and his friends are chased, captured, enslaved, escape, battle and struggle against Ming while making friends and allies with Vultan (John Lipson) King of The Hawkmen, Prince Barin (Richard Alexander) the rightful ruler of Mongo and Prince Thun (James Pierce) of The Lionmen.
First off let me say up front that you have to have a love of this kind of thing from Jump Street or at least be curious to learn more about this genre.  This entire serial was made for less than a million bucks which today wouldn’t even pay for the catering for some of today’s movie.  So we’re talking about production values that are downright laughable by today’s standards.  The acting is nothing to brag about.  But it is sincere.  Buster Crabbe sells it with all his heart.  When he’s up there on screen he convinces you that he’s in the deadliest of peril even while fighting the most obvious rubber octopus in the history of movies.  And the rest of the cast follow suit.  Especially John Lipson as Vultan who I was afraid would belly laugh himself a hernia, that’s how much he’s enjoying playing the Falstaffian King of The Hawkmen.
Jean Rogers as Dale Arden is kinda blah, even for this material.  She mostly just stands around looking gorgeous in her flowing, gossamer robes.  Mongo must really be hard up for women since everybody who meets Dale wants to marry her.  Her contribution to the story consists of either fainting or screaming at least once every chapter.  I gotta give her props, though.  Not many actresses even today could give so many inflections to one line; “What have you done with Flash?” which is usually all she gets to say.
Princess Aura is much more fun to watch as she’s the real woman of action here.  She’s always pulling a ray gun on someone, even on her own father to rescue Flash.  Something she does a surprising number of times.  There’s even a scene where Aura tells Dale that if Dale really cared about Flash, she’d do something and not just stand there cramming her fist in her mouth to hold back yet another scream.  Whenever she hears Flash has been captured yet again, Aura grabs  the nearest ray gun, holds up her dress so as not to trip and runs off in her marvelously high heels to save him.
Frank Shannon is amazing as Dr. Hans Zarkov, one of the greatest Mad Scientists in fiction.  There’s a scene in the spaceship that made me laugh out loud:  Our Heroes are heading for Mongo when Flash asks Zarkov if he’s ever done this before.  Zarkov admits that he hasn’t but he’s tested with models.  “What happened to them?” Flash asks.  “They never came back,” Zarkov sheepishly admits.  If you watch this serial, check out the expression on Flash’s face.  Priceless.
And while I’m sure that Mr. Crabbe didn’t mind having to wear shorts through the whole production, I would think Frank Shannon and Richard Alexander did since they don’t have the legs to pull that look off.  At least Charles Middleton didn’t have to.  He doesn’t have the fabulous wardrobe Max Von Sydow sported in the 1980 movie but he does have the sufficient gravitas to make us take Ming seriously.  Flash Gordon vs Ming The Merciless is one of the most celebrated hero/villain pairings in heroic fiction and I believe it’s largely due to the work Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Middleton do in this serial as well as the two sequels.  They are never less than convincing and in their best moments they make us forget the cheapness of the production.
So should you see the 1936 serial version of FLASH GORDON?  It depends.  Are you just looking for a casual Friday or Saturday night movie? Then  go Netflix the 1980 version starring Sam J. Jones as Flash and Max Von Sydow as Ming with the absolutely kickass Queen soundtrack.
But if you consider yourself a student of pulp fiction, of heroic fiction in film, of the cliffhanger serial or of the science fiction movie genre or of just plain movies then I say that there is no way you can call yourself a student of any/all those genres and not watch the 1936 FLASH GORDON at least once.  It’s the great-grandfather of 90% of filmic space opera that came after it and need I remind you that the major reason George Lucas created “Star Wars” is because he couldn’t get the rights to do FLASH GORDON, which is really what he wanted to do.  If things had turned out different we might have been watching Flash Gordon, Prince Thun and Prince Barin wielding those lightsabers.
Ideally you should do it the right way and watch one chapter a week on Saturday to get the real effect of watching Saturday morning cliffhangers but I’m a greedy bastard and watched it all in one day with 15 minutes breaks in between.  No, it’s not the same but I kinda think that after the first two of three chapters, you’re gonna keep watching.
Taken as a cultural artifact it is a superior example of a style of film storytelling that isn’t done anymore.  As a gateway drug into pulp in general and as cliffhanger serials in particular, there are few better examples than FLASH GORDON.  Load it up on Netflix and enjoy.
FLASH GORDON has no rating but be advised that it is a culturally and racial insensitive movie by our standard today.  If you’re willing to overlook that and understand it was made in a less socially enlightened time, fine.  If not, give it a pass.
245 minutes (13 Episodes)

Review: ‘He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown’

1000116765dvdlef-2839417When Charles Schulz created [[[Peanuts]]] sixty years ago, he never imagined that Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s beagle, would steal the spotlight and overshadow the strip in future years. Much as Snoopy overran the comic strip and merchandising, so did he loom large in many of the animated specials which ran for decades on CBS. Warner Home Entertainment has collected two of those dog-centric specials in the just released[[[He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown]]].

The disc contains not only the title special, which first aired on February 14, 1968, and was last collected in 2009’s Peanuts 1960s Collection, but also [[[Life is a Circus, Charlie Brown]]], a 1980 special that has not been remastered before. The latter was the 20th special and is making its DVD debut here, and it was clear the energy and creative spark was long since gone.

The first story focuses on Snoopy being terribly disobedient and a general pain in the neck to the gang. Charlie Brown calls the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm , the obedience school that failed to do its job, notifying them the dog is being sent back for remedial lessons. Then, he sends Snoopy across town, asking Peppermint Patty to let the “shortstop with a big nose” stay over one night. Snoopy stays and never leaves until Patty complains. Charlie collects the dog, who promptly escapes but this time Patty makes the dog work to earn his keep. He comes to miss the cushy life he had and returns home. Meantime, the gang has come to miss the annoying pet.

I suppose Snoopy learns his lesson, at least for a little while, but none of the other characters, even Patty, get to do much of anything except complain so its not one of the better uses of the ensemble cast. Neither is the second feature from October 24, 1980. Here, Snoopy accidentally winds up joining a trained dog act when the circus comes to town.  He’s infatuated with Fifi, the star poodle so let Polly the trainer take him in and turn him into a performing star.

Charlie Brown is somewhat distraught to see Snoopy leaving with the circus en route to Omaha but does nothing to get him back. Instead, we see Polly getting orders from the Colonel, the circus’ owner, and slowly it becomes clear the life of a star attraction is not all its cracked up to be and he breaks free, taking Fifi with him. In the end, though, she decides the return to the only home she knew, as Snoopy parts heading for home.

Watching the two back to back, you see the quality of the animation and voice casting clearly deteriorate along with the cleverness of the humor and storytelling. While the strip stopped being interesting years before, the television specials were finally matching that creative drought. The remastering job, though, makes them look terrific so Peanuts fans will be pleased.

The sole special feature is the 22 minute “Snoopy’s Home Ice: The Story of the Redwood Empire Ice Arena”, an extended look at the arena Schulz and family saved from ruin and how it has maintained that special Peanuts legacy as a testament to the creator. Animation guru Lee Mendelson, Kevin McCool (operations manager), Craig Schulz, Skippy Baxter (professional skater/director), Jean Schulz (Charles’ widow), Lisa Illsley-Navarro (skating professor), and Jim Doe (general manager) all appear on camera.

Happy 60th Birthday, Peanuts!

  • News
  • October 3, 2010

first-peanuts-comic-10-02-1950-2763194

On October 2, 1950, Peanuts premiered on October 2, 1950, in eight newspapers: The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Minneapolis Tribune, The Allentown Call-Chronicle, The Bethlehem Globe-Times, The Denver Post, The Seattle Times, and The Boston Globe. It began as a daily strip, reprinted above.

If you’ve never heard of Peanuts, I, for one, would like to welcome our new alien overlords. I’d like to remind them that as a trusted blogger I could be
helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves!

Review: ‘Bayou’ Volume One

One of the first questions posed regarding digital comics is just how you make any money from a strip available for free. The usual answer is that the strip, if it’s any good, will find an audience who will then happily pay for a print compilation. That seems to be the model for DC Comics’ Zuda Comics as they released Bayou
, the first book collecting Jeremy Love’s charming southern serial.

Zuda has been a nice place to find some new talent or see familiar talent try new things. The interface is fairly dreadful but the content is a nice mixed bag, veering just a little too much on the traditional genres of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Few, though, use the genre as a jumping off point with the same affection and craft as Love’s feature. He called it “a southern fried odyssey”, set in 1933 Mississippi when the races were segregated. Two little girls, one white and one black, play as equals despite their parents’ views. When the white girl goes missing, Lee’s father is arrested for the crime and so begins the girl’s adventure.

Working with 1-4 panels per page (or screen), Love leisurely introduces us to the world of the Deep South and its players. Wisely, they are products of their time but not stereotypes or clichés. His simple art and lush color are wonders I these days of scritchy line art and oversaturated pages. Love knows how to tell a story from pacing to dialogue to art and color. No wonder the strip was lauded last month at the Glyph Comics Awards taking home five awards, including Best Writer, Best Artist and Story of the Year, Best Comic Strip, and his lead character, Lee Wagstaff, was declared Best Female Character.

The problem with the collection, though, is that at 160 pages we get only part of the story. Nothing is resolved and everything is left dangling, forcing you to wait for a second volume or more before we find out who these creatures living in the Bayou are and will Lee be fast enough to save her daddy from a lynching he does not deserve.

The book also lacks any sort of introductory material about the strip, Zuda or Love. All we get are a few sketches at the back to show the development, but even those pages are lacking context.

[[[Bayou]]] in print is a wonder to behold and comes recommended but be careful. Love’s work and the world he created are addictive and you will be left wanting much more.

Webcomics You Should Have Read: ‘The Parking Lot Is Full’

  • News
  • February 15, 2009

I beg of you, gentle ComicMix readers… take a journey with me back in time. Step one? Dust off a pair of “wide leg” jeans. Don your favorite pair of Airwalk low-tops. Grow your hair out a little, and put a Pearl Jam Compact Disk into your brand new Diskman. Step Two? Power up your personal computer. You know the one, with that brand new Intel Pentium chip the kids all talk about. Fire up that 14.4 Baud Modem, and hop on that newfangled ‘Information Super-Highway’. Welcome to 1993 folks! Now that you’re here, you should check out a little known webcomic called “The Parking Lot Is Full”.

The brief history on said comic comes from it’s own tombstone, procured from their site instead of that wiki-pedia thing you “next-gen users” all like so much…

 

“From 1993 – 2002, The Parking Lot is Full was the comic strip love child of artist Jack McLaren and writer Pat Spacek. Starting as crude little strips published in their university newspaper, the comic quickly took on a life of its own, eventually becoming one of the most popular and infamous comic strips on the internet. After nine years of ups and downs, the creators decided that they’d said everything they wanted to say, so the comic was wrapped up and all the toys put away.”

 

What made ‘PLIF’ (get used to this folks, cause “The Parking Lot Is Full” takes a while to type) so enjoyable was it’s fascinating combination of Gary Larsen-esque illustrations combined with sharp writing and a touch of the macabre. Unlike several previous recommendations here on ComicMix, ‘PLIF’ had no continuity really to follow. Yes, there are a few reoccurring sock puppets in the later half of the series, but there’s no backstory to follow (well, anymore…). And to be honest, the really juicy strips are true non-sequiturs.

I’ll be frank, folks, this strip features some of the most laugh-out-loud-but-frankly-I-shouldn’t-be-laughing strips I’ve had the pleasure to read for free on the ‘inter-webs’. There’s no need for lengthy exposition on the progression of the art; It’s crude, in gray tones, and unpolished as my car in February. There’s no need to wax poetic about the subject matter; Generally ‘PLIF’ stuck to a cycle of topics including childhood, sex, religion, and conspiracy theories (sometimes in the same strip!). Simply put, if the ‘Far-Side’ was rolled through a plate of broken glass, you’d have “PLIF”. Suffice to say the content can disturb as much as it can inspire fits of laughter… and that’s what I appreciate about it. Now to the cream of the crop (…ahem. WARNING. These Strips Are Not Suitable For Children, and most adults now that I think of it):

 

• Well, this settles an age old debate.
• Safe Sex, by PLIF
• A Failed Experiment, by Ray Croc.
• "I fell out of my chair the first time I saw this"… said my roomate.
• You know it’d be true.
• A lesson from the Street… Sesame Street.
• If this Pre-Dates Animal Man, Grant Morrison should be worried.

So there you have it folks. Kick off the Airwalks, swap that Diskman for an iPod, and plug back into a nice cable modem. This trip back in time is over. Sadly, there is no more strips to be had after you’ve been through their archive. Do yourself a favor though… buy a collection of them in printed form from the ‘PLIF’ store, and show your support for those who dared release this evil into the world.

The Breakdown:

Drama: Well, this is kinda’ dramatic…

Humor: If you don’t find this funny, maybe you’ll find this funny.

Continuity: There’s some Sock Puppets that show up from time to time.

Art: It’s grey, it’s crude, and it’s wonderfully morbid when it needs to be.

Archive: From 1993-2002, you’re looking at quite a few strips. It looks like they didn’t update but several times a month at best… never the less, if you troll through it all, it’s a solid hour or two of fun.

Updates: Unless you suffer from that condition where you still believe it’s 1993-2002… alas, there is no more ‘PLIF’ to be had.

Risk/Reward: As always… it’s free… so there’s little risk involved. Unless you consider reading a strip like this to be dangerous. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

‘Mutts’ Comments on Obama Dog Adoption

  • News
  • December 4, 2008

Mutts has never been afraid of dealing with current events and now, a new storyline begins on Monday as the characters begin discussing the hunt for a dog as pet for president-elect Barack Obama’s children.

Patrick McDonnell’s comic strip is currently syndicated in over 700 newspapers most recently advocated in favor of a California proposition and now focuses on the desire for the Obamas to find a dog from a shelter.  The new First Family’s every step is carefully chosen these days for its symbolic meaning and Obama keeping his campaign promise to his daughters is now different.

McDonnell uses strip regulars Mooch the Cat and Earl the Dog to spotlight the 7.5 million dogs and 16.2 million cats now living in American homes, all of which came from shelters.
 
The Humane Society of the United States has showered McDonnell with their Genesis Award three times to date. He’s been singled out for using Mutts to show how hard the staff and volunteers at animal shelters work to rescue and care for the more than six million animals living in shelters in this country.. Shelter Stories: Love Guaranteed collects 100 of the strips along with 70 candid photos of rescued dogs that have gone on to new homes through the adoption process.
 

Guest Strip Project Nears 100th Entry

  • News
  • November 16, 2008

The Guest Strip Project has announced a new fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation (one of our personal favorites) as it nears its 100th strip.  The project was conceived in April and was announced as a one year event that would raise money through ads, donations and upcoming merchandise.

The spot reserved for the 100th strip on December 1 is up for grabs.

Program leader Mike Rouse-Deane says, “If you haven’t already contributed to the Guest Strip Project all you need to do is a Christmas strip and be one of the 31 artists, webcomic artists or even just fans. As long as you can pick up a pencil, that’s all we need!”

When we first profiled the charity site, we outlined the requirements which remain:

One artist can only do one guest strip, they won’t be asked back, once their page is completed it’ll go into the archives and they can never return. This means its much more complicated but also allows other talented people out there to have a chance of making an impact.

At the side of each page are banners and also donation buttons where people can donate money to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. There’s also the store which will every so often have exclusive merchandise as well as spin-off books, posters, t-shirts and artwork up for grabs all donating to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Entries can be e-mailed to moovok@yahoo.com and a selection will be made just before the release date.

The strip must be 700 x 221, in a gif format and have a Christmas theme including one (or all) of the established characters. Your submission should contain your email with your website.

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

comicmix-pro-300x69-2

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks